Wisconsin "Cheeseheads"

[CherMoz]

I grow sweet potatoes every year. I am even able to grow a 120-day variety following the instructions from Sandhill Preservation. I tried to paste the link here for you but was unable to. Search Sandhill Preservation and then go to the section on sweet potatoes. I will be setting my saved sweet potatoes this weekend to get the slips going.

 

[corewassen87]

just picked up a yard and a half of road gravel with the ol Silverado. I almost feel bad for her. About 3500 pounds in the bed

 

[Daethen]

furnace guys just left and I'm 5 grand poorer. Oh well it's a investment. Now what to do with the rest of my day?!

Play with the piggies!!

 

[jvls1942]

I just got back from picking up the pick up. except I came home without it. just as I was about to get into it, I smelled gas. looked down and right under the driver's side door was gas pouring out of the ruptured gas line.
Curt pulled it right back into the garage, It should be ready tomorrow.

I will look up sandhill preserve. thanks.
Annie brought me a sweet potato from town. IDK if it is organic, or treated. but I am going to cut it in half and stick it into water.

Corey, do you have extra high sides on your truck ?
I would be afraid to put that much on my old Silverado.
I think it would snap in two.

I am going to have to take all the spring teeth off of the cultivator. I have 4 more to go.
only one lines up with the rear wheel of the tractor on each side. in order to have two behind the wheel, I have to move that one over about 2 inches and then put another one real close to it.

........jiminwisc.......

 

[Celtic Chick]

I see eagles and vulctures flying around my house sometimes, too. I was hoping the Barred rock would be able to camouflage a little better and not have much to worry about. Any tips on how to deter winged predators and still free range? I'm hoping that keeping the coop close to the house and having enough pines and shrubs around will help avoid any casualties. That's the last thing my kids need to witness with their new pets.

As others have said, vultures are not a problem. They only eat dead food, but they do enjoy buzzing the yard to get the roosters going. Lol.

Darker birds do not show up in a summertime landscape as well as lighter ones do. That would include barred breeds like Doms, etc.

Coop location doesn't have much effect on a pred attack. A former Cheesehead had one of those prefab coops right next to her house & a coon still got in it & killed her birds.

Pine trees are great for pred birds to sit in & plan their attack strategy. Lots of cover to hide in & stay unseen until it is too late.

I have 1/2 acre fenced in for my chicken run so it is kind of like free ranging. I have lots of hawks, owls & falcons down here, as well as coyotes, coons, dogs, etc. In my run, I have lots of dwarf fruit trees & dense shrubs scattered about. I also like to set used pallets on logs or concrete blocks for the flock to use as cover or shade if they need it. (If you don't mind the redneck look). I have had zero attacks from above in 15 years, although a falcon did once land just outside of the fence. A few coons have scaled the fence but the birds were already locked in the coop. I did have a mink attack a few years ago. That sucked big time.

Owning chickens is pretty much a crap shoot. You have to expect losses at some point. But hopefully we can help make yours as minimal as possible. But the more pred proof you make your coop & run, the more $$$$ you will spend.

 

[Celtic Chick]

thanks Corey, but I have the eating part , down pat.
I just have been doing some studying on utube about them,
I think this far north is going to be a problem as far as the
growing time goes.
they need it warm and don't tolerate cold very well.
and it takes about 100 days .


..........jiminwisc......

Jim, I have a bunch of older storm windows up north if you are interested in making cold frames for them.

 

[Daethen]

I am cheap and I got lucky. When I built mine I got a bunch of 6' tall chain link from the local junk yard. A couple of dings and a little rust but I don't mind it. Framed the chain link in 10' sections. One set went across the top of the run. 10' x 30' run. Yes, it is bare dirt inside, but I no longer pay for fertilizer and had some of the biggest tomato plants ever last year. For the coop, I have a buddy that owns a mill and he gave me a pallet of older oak lumber that had been out in the weather. Still had to buy screws and I bought treated lumber to frame the sections in with. I also used 2 reclaimed double pain windows to give them some light and passive heat inside the coop. I also used a bunch of free and left over lumber for my chicken tractor along with more of the chain link I had already gotten. Even so, I have found one possum in my big coop with NO idea how it found a way in. There were no dig in spots.

 

[Celtic Chick]

I am cheap and I got lucky. When I built mine I got a bunch of 6' tall chain link from the local junk yard. A couple of dings and a little rust but I don't mind it. Framed the chain link in 10' sections. One set went across the top of the run. 10' x 30' run. Yes, it is bare dirt inside, but I no longer pay for fertilizer and had some of the biggest tomato plants ever last year. For the coop, I have a buddy that owns a mill and he gave me a pallet of older oak lumber that had been out in the weather. Still had to buy screws and I bought treated lumber to frame the sections in with. I also used 2 reclaimed double pain windows to give them some light and passive heat inside the coop. I also used a bunch of free and left over lumber for my chicken tractor along with more of the chain link I had already gotten. Even so, I have found one possum in my big coop with NO idea how it found a way in. There were no dig in spots.

No, you are thrifty AND you are handy. Awesome!

At least it was a possum & not a pred. I will risk a maelstrom and say that the only things a possum will eat in a coop is the chicken feed & perhaps an egg. Or an already dead bird if it can find one.

Let the fun and games begin..........

 

[babylady4]

LOL! BigZ, how soon you forget; I am FROM IL! Cubbies fan all the way! Bears, not since Walter Payton left...... he was my grandmother's favorite.

I will say, it is SOOOOOOOO nice to be back home with my family. Two weeks is a very long time to be away. DH spoiled me with a home grilled steak dinner; it is nice to feel appreciated.

This next week I get to visit out facility in Lafayette IN.... I have been told that corn milling is done on a very large scale..... so this should be one heck of a field trip.

House hunting is nuts down in the SE corner of the state..... all these people from IL are running away from their HUGE tax burden to WI..... so houses will come up for sale and be gone within days. Getting what we want/need is going to be a challenge, thankfully we have some time to look.

What a huge step for us...... relocating to the country, three kids graduated from HS, new jobs......... what a whirlwind!

Now I just need my Airstream.........

 

[jvls1942]

good evening.
If you are going to buy screws to put your oak projects together,
get the golden star drive ones. #9 screws. anything smaller, like #8 will just strip out and not hold anything,
these screws are $$$ a bit pricey, but I have yet to break one off by screwing it in tightly. and they don't rust.
I have never broken a driver yet, either.

CC, I bite my tongue. Possums eat meat, and they have teeth.

I might have enough glass here. but I will keep you in mind.
maybe you can come try out my new ramp..

Chermoz , do you start your sweet potatoes in water or dirt ?
I couldn't find any tutorial in Sandhill.

I might work outside without a shirt on tomorrow. get a little sunburned maybe ?.